In the packaging of the various products, it has become common to provide some indication with whether or not the closure has been removed and possibly the contents have been tampered with. Thus, in one type of tamper indicating package that has been used, wherein a closure is threaded on the neck of the container, the skirt of the closure is formed with an integral tamper indicating band connected along a weakened line and the band has a radially inwardly extending bead that snaps over an annular bead on the container. When the closure is unthreaded, the tamper indicating band is severed from the closure along the weakened line to indicate that the closure has been removed and reapplied.
One of the problems with respect to such a closure, is that the force necessary to apply the closure and snap the tamper indicating band portion of the closure over the annular bead of the container is such that the weakened line may be broken during application of the closure.
In order to overcome this problem, it has been proposed to utilize a plurality of circumferentially spaced bridge portions which also interconnect the skirt of the closure and the tamper indicating band. When the closure is applied, the bridge portions absorb the axial force and prevent tearing of the band from the closure. When the threaded closure is unthreaded to remove the closure, the bridge portions are subjected to an axial tension in order to sever them as well as the remaining weakened line and leave the tamper indicating band on the container. Such a construction requires a careful control of the dimensions of the bridge in order to keep the force required to remove the closure to a reasonable value. On the other hand, if the bridge portions and the weakened line are made so thin that they are easily fractured, it is possible for a child to readily remove the closure.
Among the objectives of the present invention are to provide a tamper indicating package that includes strong bridge portions which will permit the application of the closure without damage to the connection of the tamper indicating band to the remainder of the closure; which has bridge portions that can be readily severed during removal of the closure; which will deter the ready removal of the closure by children; wherein the closure can be easily made by molding; and wherein a better quality of closure is made possible.
In accordance with the invention, the tamper indicating package comprises a container having a body portion and a neck portion having external threads thereon, the closure has a top wall and a peripheral skirt having internal threads adapted to engage the threads on the neck of the container. A tamper indicating band extends downwardly from the skirt and is connected to the closure by a plurality of integral bridge portions. The annular bead on the container and the radial bead on the tamper indicating band have interengaging means which are operable during unthreading of the closure to shear the bridge portions. Some of the bridge portions are shaped to readily withstand the forces encountered in applying the closure and other of the bridge portions are shaped to be readily severed in removing the closure.